Denise Vrchota
BA120MPI, 2015
MUNICIPAL PROFESSIONALS’ INSTITUTE
Introduction to Public Speaking
Week 1
Dr. Denise Vrchota
Communication Studies – Dept. of English
Iowa State University

INTRODUCTION:
Your Name
Important Demographics
BODY:
Tell three interesting things about yourself, or
Three things that are important to you, or
Three ways you spend your time, or
Any three things about yourself that you’d like to share.
CONCLUSION:
Close by telling one thing about yourself you would like us to remember.
DELIVER:
In “prepared conversation” style.
NOTES:
Use any notes that will be helpful to you or no notes.
TIME:
Be prepared to speak to your audience for two minutes.
2

Preparing Your Presentation for Wednesday
Choose a topic for your presentation. To help you pinpoint your topic, answer these three questions:
What do you know about? (What could you stand up and discuss right now for 2-3 minutes?)
How do you spend your time? (List things you enjoy and things you don’t enjoy!)
What do you care about? What is important to you? (Your life would be the less without these.)
Are there any topics that appear on all three lists? Those are the topics you should consider for your presentation. Choose one:______________.
What is it that you want your audience to know, do, or believe about this topic as a result of your presentation? Complete the sentence in the box:
“I want my audience of Municipal Professionals to know – do – believe (choose one)
.”
This sentence is the main idea of your presentation. Now you need to identify the points you will discuss in your presentation so that your audience is able to understand and/or accept your main idea.
3

Identify Your Main Points
3.
1.
2.
What information does your audience need in order to understand or accept your main idea? Identify three pieces of information that, when discussed in your presentation, will help your audience to understand and/or accept your main point:
Develop, Explain, and Support Your Main Points
Develop your main points using two of the following types of support for each point.

Tell “how” or “why” an event occurs, a system or organization works, a process is conducted: “It is done this way because…” “The reason for this is…”

Descriptions: Provide information that would be observable through the senses (sight, touch, taste, sound, smell). Takes us to a place, helps us live or relive an experience or event.

Examples or illustrations: Present an idea in an alternate manner to clarify or emphasize.

Definitions of unfamiliar terms or terms used in topic-specific ways: Use when discussing a technical terms or other terms unfamiliar to the audience, or when using a “common” term in a specific or unordinary way.

Statistics or other factual information: Data that can be verified.

Expert opinions, quotes, or information from outside sources: Be sure to give the name of the expert or source and, if necessary, provide source credentials.
4

Organize Your Main Points
CHOOSE ONE of these organizational options and arrange your main points accordingly:
1.
Chronological Order – In order of time. Use for giving instructions that must be carried out in a specific order or to describe an event that leads up to a climactic ending.
2.
Spatial or Geographical Order – Arrange points in order of physical relationship to each other. Use to describe a place, an object, or a person.
3.
Cause/Effect or Effect/Cause – Explains the relationship of an event or series of events and the result or outcome of these events, either desirable or undesirable.
4.
Problem/Solution – Describes an undesirable situation and advocates an action or other solution that will eradicate or reduce the situation.
5.
Familiar/Unfamiliar – Helps listeners to understand something they don’t know by first identifying something they do know and making a comparison.
6.
Agree/Disagree – Cultivates agreement among listeners on an issue about which they disagree by initially building a foundation of common ground.
7.
Topical – Arranges points in the way they make sense in relation to each other:
Most important to least important
Easiest to hardest
Best to worst, etc.
5

Develop An “Ear-Catching” Introduction
Introductions orient the audience to the topic, provide a transition from earlier events, and signal the beginning of the presentation. When the audience has heard the introduction, they should feel “prepared” to listen to the rest of the speech.
Consider including these five components in your introduction:
1. An “attention grabber” signals the beginning of your speech and should make the audience want to listen to your message. Some commonly used attention grabbers are:
 A direct reference to the topic, audience, or occasion
 A personal greeting
 Questions: Direct or rhetorical (if you want an audience response, be sure to say so)

A startling statement

A story, joke, or personal example
2. Speaker credentials inform the audience of the speaker’s experience or “right” to discuss the topic.
3. Relevance tells the audience how the information conveyed in the speech will be of benefit to them.
4. The thesis is the main point of the speech and should be conveyed to the audience in one sentence.
5. Preview of main points briefly informs the audience of key issues that will be discussed by the speaker.
Planning your Introduction:
Attn Grabber:
Credentials:
Relevance:
1.
2.
3.
Thesis:
Main Pts:
6

Conclude Your Speech in a Memorable Manner
The conclusion is the last opportunity for the speaker to advocate a viewpoint or action; it is the last chance for the audience to hear information they need to guide their actions or decisions.
Conclusions also prepare the audience for the speech to come to an end.
A conclusion should be brief and include these two components:
1.
A repetition or restatement of something said in the presentation the speaker wants the audience to remember. This could be:




The thesis statement
One of the major points
All of the major points
A review of all of the above
2.
A device to establish closure, i.e., a statement that says “the end” in a memorable manner. Ways to establish closure are:
 Expression of appreciation to the audience
 Personal comment about the importance of the issue advocated in the speech
 Question posed to the audience as a challenge
 Startling statement (use if the speech was developed to create suspense)
 Reference to attention grabber if a narration, joke, or example was used
Prepare Your Conclusion
The point you want your audience to remember:
A device to establish closure:
[*Note: Try to avoid labeling the conclusion with “in conclusion…”]
7

Insert Transitions
Transitions are words, phrases, or sentences that show the relationships of ideas in a presentation while allowing the speaker the mobility to move from point to point.
The complexity or length of transitions should be related to the complexity or length of the parts of the speech they connect.
Word transitions can be used to connect phrases or sentences.
For example: also, and, again, finally, furthermore, therefore, next, etc.
Phrase transitions connect other phrases (parts of sentences), sentences, and also create cohesion for a series of sentences or thoughts.
For example: For example, in addition, in other words, on the one hand/on the other hand, more important, etc.
Sentences transitions act as internal summaries and/or previews. A sentence can briefly summarize the point that was just made while previewing the point about to be made.
For example: “We’ve just seen how _______ effects _____. Now let’s consider some ways to eradicate this unfortunate situation.” Or: “I’ve shown you ____, now let’s look at ___.”
[Note: Avoid using the same word or phrase transition repeatedly.
Transitions should accurately present the relationship of ideas intended by the speaker.]
8

Responding to Audience Questions
Responding to listeners’ questions during the presentation results in these challenges to the presenter:

Points may need to be discussed out of your planned order

You might be asked to discuss issues you hadn’t intended to discuss

As you respond to one questioner, you might lose the attention of others

The content of your presentation might need to be modified to fit the remaining time
In many situations, listeners wait to ask their questions until the presenter has completed the planned presentation.
When you know the answer to a question, use this template:

Repeat or paraphrase the question

Answer the question

Restate your position in a way that supports your speaking goal
When you don’t know the answer to a question, here are some options:

Use the time as you repeat or paraphrase to think of how you’d like to proceed

Admit you don’t know the answer but without minimizing your credentials

Make an educated guess “Based on my experience, I believe…”

Refer to information from another source “I noticed an article recently that said…”

Ask for help from the audience “Has anyone else had that experience?”

Return the question to the questioner “How would you handle that?”

Offer to check and get back to the person
9

Presentation Checklist
___ 1. Selected topic
___ 2. Assembled audience profile
___ 3. Developed speaking goal
___ 4. Identified major points to support speaking goal
___ 5. Selected support material (2 pieces for each point)
___ 6. Organized major points
___ 7. Created “ear-catching” introduction
___ 8. Constructed memorable conclusion
___ 9. Inserted transitions
___ 10.Practiced and prepared notes
To channel energy into “good” nerves, I will:
As I prepare my presentation:
___ Practice
___ Practice in front of a mirror
___ Practice before supportive colleagues
___ Practice with visual aids
___ Practice saying my speech
___ End my speech each time I begin it
___ Eliminate notes as I begin more sure of what I will say
___ Mark reminders on notes legibly
___ Time my presentation
On the day of my presentation:
___ Get some exercise
___ Eat carefully
___ Choose clothing I like
___ As I wait my turn to speak, I will practice controlled breathing
When I get up to speak:
___ Take glass of water to lectern
___ Organize visual support
___ Check through notes
___ Look around the room at audience
___ Take deep breath and
___ Begin to talk
When I am finished with my presentation:
___ I’ll eat chocolate
10